rely upon the women, infant and childrens programs to try to make sure that you produce a healthy baby who just comes in the world with a chance to make it, and who without these services may come into life already disadvantaged, already behind, and so i don't know how we can actually do this with a good conscience. but also, i can't imagine what it is that we're thinking, how do you cut, cut, cut jobs and opportunities for people to work and expect to raise a recessed economy? i've always been led to believe you've got to have the exchange of goods and services.

you've got to keep money flowing in an economy in a society, to move it beyond the bottom up toward the top. so in the recessed state that we're in, we need to be producing jobs, creating work opportunities, not furloughing, laying people off, having them wonder what they're going to be able to do. i think it's the wrong approach, ting -- i think it's not a good way to manage our resources, and i think it's not a good message that we're sending to the american people. so, sir, i want to thank you again for the opportunity to participate with you and other members of the congressional black caucus as we raise awareness that with sequestration deal, our country is headed in the wrong

direction. i thank you very much and yield back the balance of my time. . mr. jeffries: thank you, congressman davis for laying out a clear, concise and articulate fashion, the problems with sequestration that we are forced now to confront here in america as a result of the irresponsibility of some in this chamber. i'm pleased that we have been joined by my distinguished co-anchor, the gentleman from nevada, the silver state, representative horsford. i now yield to representative horsford. mr. horsford: thank you, madam speaker. to my good friend and colleague, representative jeffries, thank you for co-anchoring this special hour and all much our colleagues, to discuss the impact of the sequester.

you know, far too often, talk of the so-called sequester ignores the very real people who fill the -- who feel the pain of unfair cuts. our jobs as representatives is to be the voice of our constituents. well, tonight, i hope we can have a frank discussion about what these cuts really mean to all of our communities. my colleagues talked about the 7 50,000 to one million job losses that could result as a result of the sequester. any day, congress can pass a reasonable balanced deficit reduction solution to avert these devastating, across-the-board cuts. that's what the american people are asking for, in fact. according to a "usa today"-pew

research poll, three out of four americans surveyed said congress should focus on a balanced approach to the deficit, with a combination of spending cuts, strategic spending cuts and additional revenue. now, i know here in washington, sometimes the focus is more on scoring political points or seeing who can win the blame game. well, madam speaker, the american people are watching. and they are fed up with the broken ways of washington. they came out and they voted in november and they sent a very clear message to all of us here in congress, that it is time for us to work together to put partisanship aside and and to put our nation first. so it's all parties that would come to the table like we are

supposed to and minimize the impact of the sequester on working families like mine in congressional district 4. if we do our jobs like the american people are rightfully demanding, we can reduce our debt in a responsible way and get our economy moving again. so i call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, come to the table, help find a solution and let's fix some of these deep cuts that were never supposed to happen. i wasn't part of the congress that enacted the sequester, i know my colleague, mr. jeffries, was not either. but we are here now and want to do our jobs on behalf of the constituents who sent us here. this is a victory for no one and horrible loss for the american people. now, if we let the sequester continue, our economic recovery will be thrown in reverse. a study by george mason

university projects a loss of 2.14 million american jobs if we fail to act. half of those jobs will come from small businesses. businesses that are the engines of our economy. perhaps most unfair as part of the sequester are schools and students will be hurt. now, a couple of weeks ago, i voted along with many of my colleagues, to not adjourn this body, to stay here throughout the so-called district work week to work with my colleagues across the aisle to try to come up with a balanced solution to avoid these devastating cuts. but the leadership, the republican leadership, decided to adjourn. and so instead of spending time with our families, we went out and met with our constituents to

listen to them about what these cuts mean in their evidence lives. let me -- everyday lives. let me talk to you what it means in my home state of nevada. nearly 300 nevada children will lose head start and early head start services. these are programs that provide critical early education programs. at a time when we talk about wanting to close the academic achievement gap and allowing every child to start school ready to learn on day one, these impacts would deny services to 300 nevada children. in fact, i already have 400 children who are on the waiting list for one of my head start providers and families can't even get in to be served. primary and secondary education

in nevada would be cut by $9 million putting 120 teacher and teacher-aid jobs at risk. funding for title 1 schools would be slashed. one particular elementary school that i visited, matt kelly elementary school, over 50% of their allocation from the school district is title 1 funding. how is that school supposed to maintain the services that they are providing to these young and deserving children? services like nutrition programs, full-day kindergarten, a parent center that we can have parent involvement in our schools. that is what is under attack with these mindless across-the-board cuts. about 14,000 fewer students would be served at approximately

10 fewer schools in my district would even receive funding under title 1. disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents. when we talk about helping people get back to work, one of the biggest impediments for many families is having access to child care. schools and families in my district need these programs to provide hungry students the meals that they need to focus in class, to fund math and reading intervention programs, and to keep their teachers employed. we can reduce unness spending, madam speaker, but these are the wrong places to cut. and everyone knows it on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers of this congress. now, some of these cuts don't heal.

and as mrs. marion wright eddelman of the children's defense fund said, we ought to be careful of what we cut, because some cuts don't heal. we don't get a second chance at head start. we don't get a second chance once our kids have moved onto the next grade, with or without the schools that they need. we don't get a second chance at the whole experience of education that so heavily influences the path of our lives. opportunities are just that. they're there for a moment, and they disappear if you don't act. there is no reset button for your education. once our children are in those classrooms, we set them on a track for success or failure.

we tip the scales for or against them in the moment that they walk through the front doors of the schoolhouse. we ask our students to study hard, meet deadlines and do their homework. that's their end of the bargain. we, as parents, are asked to be involved to foster our children's growth and to pay attention to their needs. as members of congress, our end of the bargain is to make sure that our children's schools are well funded institutions of learning. well, if anyone is grading this congress, right now, we're not doing our job, madam speaker. we even gave ourselves a two-month extension, but we missed our deadline and let cuts go into effect that members from both parties have described as dumb, avoidable and painful. congress didn't make the grade.

when it comes to fixing the deficit, you have to be careful what you cut. as i said, according to the children's defense fund, eliminating early jation investments now would invees a child's increases to going to prison later by up to 39%. paying for that prison will cost three times more a year than it would have cost to provide them with the quality early learning experience simply put, our kids are being short changed by adults here in washington. this is an adult problem and it's time for adults to be adult and to come into this body and work together and solve this for our children and their future. let's make the right choice. adequately fund our schools and look out for our children. i yield back.

mr. jeffries: thank you, congressman horsford. and i think what's important as it relates to the moment that we find ourselves in right now in america, that there are some who make the argument that the reason why the sequestration cuts perhaps were acceptable is because we've got to do something to deal with our out-of-control spending problem. that's the phrasiology that's often used. that we have here in america. and certainly, when you think about the debt number that we have, $16 trillion, it strikes you as an extremely troubling situation. and then, of course, we have had debates back and forth as it relates to the debt ceiling and suggestions from some in this chamber that the president's effort to raise the debt ceiling

is evidence of his willingness to be irresponsible as it relates to the economy. what's interesting, of course, is that the debt ceiling is not a forward-looking vehicle that's designed to give the administration the ability to spend more. the debt ceiling is a back ward-looking vehicle to give president obama at this moment the ability to pay for bills that this congress has already incurred. and so when we talk about the notion that there's a spending problem in america, let's be accurate with what really is at issue. and the reality is many of the bills that we have already incurred that americans are forced to pay for and borrow in order to meet our obligation,

these were debts incurred by the prior administration. in fact, this chart illustrates the dynamic that we find ourselves in as it relates to where we really are in america and how we got here. under the prior administration of george w. bush, we had two significant tax cuts that were not paid for in 2001 and 2003 that disproportionately benefited the wealthy and the well off. we had we had apen unjustified war in iraq that cost americans in lives and in treasure.

that contributed significantly to the deficit and our need to raise and borrow additional debt. and then of course we had the collapse of the economy. it cost america by some estimates $22 trillion. in lost wealth, home ownership, economic productivity. and as a result of the craps of the -- the collapse of the economy which took place under the prior administration, many argue they were sleeping at the switch and allowed some in wall street to engage in reckless behavior, we were forced to bail out some of the largest financial institutions in this country which added to our financial burden here in america

and then when the administration came in, inherited a train wreck in order to stimulate the economy, we incurred some additional financial responsibility. so when you look at this chart you can see what the projected debt is as a result of things that occurred in the prior administration as a proportion of g.d.p. this is a dangerously high number. but we're that the point where the debt has increased relative to our g.d.p. because of things that happened in the prior administration. in fact if you look at the bottom of the chart, you see what the debt would be, much lower, as a proportion of g.d.p. had those things not occurred. so when you talk about the need

to get spending under control, let's be intellectually honest because when we're not you lay out a scenario, well, it's because of social security that we're in this situation. that's not the case. well it's because of medicare and entitlements that we're in this situation. that's not the case. well, it's because of medicaid and we have all these takers, so-called takers in our economy, that is not the case. two wars, one of which was completely unjustified, the other of which it's not clear if it was prosecuted in the manner it could have been because we were distracted in iraq, two enormous tax cuts that benefited the wealthy and the well off

disproportionately, the collapse of the economy, a subsequent wall street bailout and the need for an economic stimulus package explains why we are where we are right now. and so the sequestration is an irrational, irresponsible, illegitimate reaction to the reason why we are in this place. and that's why, congressman horsford, we're arguing for a balanced approach to our economic reality, the one we confront right now. i yield to congressman horsford. mr. horsford: thank you to my friend and colleague from new york. as you aptly noted, the history of how we got to this point needs to not be lost in this debate. i know there are some who also want to now talk about the cuts made in agreement with the administration last year along with those additional revenues

which were approved in january as somehow the answer for why there needs to be no additional revenue. that doesn't take into account the $85 billion of cuts that are now upon us under the sequester. and i'd like to just hit on three additional points, if i could. one is the unemployment impact. you know, we're focused on growing the economy, putting people back to work. in my home state of nevada, we still have an unemployment rate above the national average. while our numbers are coming down, we don't need to add anyone to the unemployment ryans and under the sequester, some 750,000 to one million americans will end up losing their job. unless this congress comes together and finds a solution, a balanced approach, as you indicate. in nevada, that's 10,000 lost

jobs. and of those job the main areas that will be affected are the civilian positions at our air force bases, creature air force base and think hawthorne army depot and it's estimated that some 1,400 furloughs will occur to civilian jobs, amounting to 11 -- to $11 million in lost wages. these aren't just lost wages to these individuals and their families, it's $11 million less of economic recovery that we so desperately need. then when you talk about our tourism and the impact to travel, the f.a.a. will be required to cut its operational activities by nearly $483 million. as a consequence, all f.a.a. employees could be furloughed for 11 days.

mening -- meaning as much as 10% of the f.a.a.'s work force of 40,000 would be on furlough on any given day. so for those of us who travel, states like ours, yours in new york, that rely on tourism to fuel our economy, that is going to affect our ability to recover . on top of that, nevada will lose funds for job search assistance to help those who are currently looking for work. nevada could lose upwards of $300,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral and placement. meaning that 10,000 fewer people will get the help they need for the skills to help them find another job. so these are the dire impacts that we see talking to our constituents and these are the real impacts that we believe

that needs to be addressed by this congress in a balanced approach. i yield back my time. mr. jeffries: thank you for highlighting some impacts that will take place in your district in nevada. if i may ask the gentlelady, madam speaker, how much time is remaining on our special order? the speaker pro tempore: about four minutes remaining. mr. jeffries: i represent the eighth congressional district in new york, one of the districts hardest hit by superstorm sandy that struck on october 29. the people of the eighth congressional district, neighborhoods like coney islands, brighton beach, manhattan beach, folks in coastal communities along the atlantic ocean or who live near the jamaica bay, lost their homes, experienced significant damage, were displaced, lost

property that can never be recovered. they were victimized on october 29 and then this congress attempted to come together to provide swift and immediate relief as is our responsibility to do when americans have been hit be disaster, $60 billion aid package was passed in the senate and although there was a promise for a vote in 2012, it didn't happen. at the 11th hour, it was yanked. because there were some who were arguing again in the name of alleged fiscal responsibility that we should be considering offsets, americans in need, desperate, but we should be considering offsets, unprecedented in the history of america's response to a tragedy.

and then thankfully, in january, we came together, common sense prevailed, we were able to pass that robust $60 billion package. now we victimize those who are impacted by superstorm sandy in the district i represent and others in new york and new jersey and connecticut for a third time because in this sequestration, $.5 billion in superstorm aid relief has been cut. that's just one of the examples. -- one of the examples of how sequestration will impact folks in my congressional district and all across the country. which is why we have been arguing for a balanced response. the other thing i note, i was in

brooklyn a few days ago, had a meeting with public housing leaders, and the new york city public housing authority which presides over public housing units in new york city, the largest such public authority related to public housing in the country, will experience $190 million cut as a result of sequestration. there are already residents of public housing in my district and across the city of new york dealing with inhumane conditions right now. mold infestation. broken elevators. rat infestation. the inability to get repairs done on a timely basis. violence at levels that should not be tolerated. and instead of cutting almost $200 million from the public housing authority in new york, we should be investing more.

madam speaker, we're hopeful that we can arrive at a place where commonsense will prevail and we can move forward to keep america moving forward in a reasonable way. i want to yield to close to my colleague stephen horsford. mr. horsford: i just want to ask, this debate begins and ends with the american people and we want to hear and listen to their views and we want you to know that you can go to #becarefulwhatyoucut and tell us the impacts you are seing with the sequester and how it is affecting you, that way we can share those opinions and views with our colleagues to hopefully convince them that a balanced

approach, working across party lines, both chambers, the senate and house, coming together for the good of the american people, is what we desperately need at this time. madam speaker, thank you for allowing us to speak this evening and for the american people, allowing us to be their voice in this representative government. mr. jeffries: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. jeffries: madam speaker, i move that the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned unt >>

you could watch the house live on c-span. john shaw joins us to talk about the continued resolution to fund the operations of the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year and how those funding levels will affect the cuts. what are you expecting to see in the bill? >> we are turning the page on the budget debate. there has been a fierce debate on the sequestration across-the- board spending cuts, the president on the speaker and the congressional leaders talked friday. they want to pass the stopgap funding bill to fund the government for the rest of the

fiscal year. it seems like there is broad agreement that the funding level will reflect the budget agreement that was reached in 2011 over the debt ceiling. a lot of complexities that went into the across-the-board spending cuts come at there is general agreement in the top line #-- in the top line in numbered. it allows the defense department -- democrats might believe should be provided to domestic agencies. we're likely to see some questions as to whether funding flexibility should be allowed on the domestic side of the budget. >> why are those programs getting special consideration? >> they believed the defense department has taken some big hits in the last several years.

republicans believe strongly that this part of the budget should be protected. when this package comes over to the senate side, it is very likely the senate democrats will rewrite the package so that the domestic part of the budget in joyce some of the same flexibility. -- enjoys some of the flexibility is. president obama, john boehner, everyone says they do not want a government shutdown. we do not want the government shut down so everybody agrees on that. it is not what they want and it

seems like they have two choices. one would be to vote for it, expecting that it would be changed and the senate with the understanding that this is not the final package. or they could oppose it and say, this is not what we expected. looking at the bill right now and trying to assess both the minutia of the package as well as the political strategy. >> there was talk last week that there might be an attempt to curtail the sequestered. does it do that? >> there was a general view that -- as much as he opposes the sequestration, it is the law of a land. no legislation was passed to reverse its. it would be against the law for him to try to overturn the

sequestration. >> thank you for the inside. -- insight. >> i was fascinated by her feminist view. remember the ladies are you will be in trouble. i am paraphrasing, obviously. she want her husband, you cannot rule without including what women want. >> abigail adams, she was outspoken about her views on slavery and women's rights. as one of the most prolific writers, she provides a unique window into colonial america. joining the conversation on abigail adams live tonight at 9:00 on c-span, c-span radio,

and c-span.org. >> president obama has picked to former clinton officials. they include energy secretary and walmart foundation. the president also nominated current epa official. >> this is just under 10 minutes. >> >> this is a serious group

good morning, everybody. this afternoon, i will hold my first cabinet meeting of my second term. there will be some new faces and there will be some familiar faces in new jobs. there'll also be some seats waiting to be filled on a permit basis. today i'm announcing my plan to nominate three outstanding individuals. one of those challenges is building on the work we have done to control our energy future. a few people have played more of a role in addressing these issues that are current secretary of energy.

he has helped us to speed the transition to a more sustainable source of energy. he has given more of our brightest scientists the opportunity to pursue the ideas that will shape our future. i cannot be more grateful to steve for the incredible contributions he has made to this country. now that he has decided to leave washington for sunny california, i'm proud to nominate another billion scientists to take its place, mr. ernest moniz. there is ernie. [applause] the good news is he already knows his way around the department of energy. he is a physicist by training, and also served as undersecretary of energy under president clinton.

since then, he has directed mit's energy initiative, which brings together prominent thinkers and energy companies developed technologies that can lead us to more energy independence and also some new jobs. most importantly, he knows that we can produce more energy and grow our economy while still taking care of our air, water, and climate. i could not be more pleased to have him join us. he will be joined in that effort by my nominee to lead the environmental protection agency. over the last four years, lisa jackson and her team at the epa have helped us reduce emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that causes climate change, put in place the toughest new pollution standards in two decades. lisa is not ready for well- deserved break. i wanted very much thank bob, who's been a great deputy administrator and who has been acting as the administrator.

please everybody give bob a big round of applause. [applause] as we move forward, i think there's nobody who can do a better job of filling lisa's shoes permanently than my nominee who is standing behind me here today -- gina mccarthy. [applause] you would not know from talking to her, but she is from boston. [laughter] one of her proudest moments was yelling "play ball" at fenway before a red sox game. she has plenty more to be proud

of. as the top environmental official in massachusetts and connecticut, she helped design programs to expand energy efficiency and promote renewable energy. as assistant epa administrator, she is focused on practical, cost-effective ways to keep our air clean and our economy growing. she has turned a reputation as a straight shooter. she welcomes different points of view. i'm confident that she is going to do an outstanding job leading the epa. these two over here, they are going to be making sure we are investing in american energy, that we are doing everything we can to combat the threat of climate change, that we're going to be able to create jobs and economic opportunity in the first place. they're going to be a great team. these are some of my top priorities going forward. as president, one of the things

you learn quickly is it's not enough just to talk a big game but the real test is whether your priorities are reflected in the budget. that's where the rubber hits the road. that is where my third nominee comes in. jeff zients has been the director for management of the office of management and budget. he's made our government more efficient. he has stepped in as acting director not once but twice. so there's no question that his skill and versatility has served the american people very well. i expect it will continue to serve us well in the future. in the meantime, i am confident that my nominee for omb director sylvia matthews burwell, is the right person to continue his great work. [applause]

in the 1990's, when she was 19 -- [laughter] sylvia served under jack lew as deputy director of omb for the team that presided over three budget surpluses in a row. later she served the gates foundation and helped it grow into a global force for good. and she helped the walmart foundation expand its charitable work. sylvia knows her way around a budget. she knows our goal is to reignite the true engine of economic growth in this country and that is a strong and growing middle class, and to offer ladders of opportunity. her mom is here.

sylvia loves to talk about her parents, growing up in west virginia and the values they instilled in her as educators. i think that reflects everything sylvia now does. i am confident that she will do a great job at omb. those values are especially important to remember now as we continue to try to find a way forward in light of the budget cuts that are starting to cost us jobs already and hurting our economy. as i said, the american people are resilience and i know that jeff and sylvia will do everything in their power to block the impact of these cuts on businesses and middle-class families, but eventually a lot of people will feel some pain. that's why we've got to keep working to reduce our deficit in a balanced way.

an approach that is supported by the majority of american people, including a majority of republicans. i am confident that we can get there to its people of good will come together. i want to thank steve and lisa and jeff once more for their outstanding service, for all the great work they've done in this administration over the last several years. i want to thank ernie, gina, and sylvia and her families for agreeing to take on these big roles. i hope the senate will confirm them as soon as possible, because we have a lot of work to do and we cannot afford delay. as soon as the senate gives them the go-ahead, they will hit the ground running and they will help make america a strong and more prosperous country. thank you very much, everybody. [applause]

>> the second installment of first ladies. examines the life and legacy of abigail adams. was called mrs. president by her detractors. she was one of the most prolific writers of any first lady. we will take your phone calls, tweeds, and facebook comments live at 9:00. joe biden spoke to attendees at the annual u.s.-is really -- u.s.-israel policy conference. you can see the vice president's remarks and other speeches from the conference in their entirety on our website.

>> it is not only in israel's interest that iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, it is in the interest of the united states. [applause] as a matter of fact, it is in the interest of the entire world. the acquisition of a nuclear weapon, not only would present an existential threat to israel, it would present a threat to our allies and our partners and it would trigger an arms race, and nuclear arms race in the region and makes the world's a whole lot less stable. we have a shared strategic commitment. let me make clear what that commitment is. it is to prevent iran from

acquiring a nuclear weapon. . in the discussion. -- end of discussion could prevent, not contain. [applause] the president has flatly stated that. this will be in a security room and dynel -- and i know debbie knows this because he will turn to other people and say, as joe would say, big nations cannot laugh. big nations cannot bluff, and presidents cannot and do not

blot and president barack obama is not bluffing. . we're not looking for war. we are looking to -- we are ready to negotiate peacefully. all options, including military force, are on the table. as i made clear last month, our strong preference, the world's preference, it is for a diplomatic solution. while that window is closing, we believe there is still time and space to achieve the outcome. we are in constant dialogue sharing information with israeli military at every level and we

are taking all the steps required to get there. i want to make clear to you something, god forbid the need to act occurs, it is critically important for the whole world to know we did everything in our power, we did everything that reasonably could have been expected to avoid any confrontation. that matters because god forbid if we have to act, it is important that the rest of the world is with us. we have a united international community. we have a united international community behind these sanctions. we have left iran more isolated than ever.

it is no longer on the ascendancy. the purpose of this pressure is not to punish. it is to convince iran to make good on its international obligations. we are sharpening the choice that the iranian leadership has to make. they can meet their obligations and give the international community ironclad confidence in the peaceful nature of their program or they can continue down the path they are on to further isolate and mounting pressure of the world. >> coming up, and this second installment of "first ladies. " it examines the life and legacy of abigail adams. she was outspoken about her views on slavery and women's rights. she was one of the most prolific writers of the first lady bird we will take your phone calls and facebook comments live at 9:00 on c-span, c-span radio,

and c-span.org. >> benjamin netanyahu addressed the annual conference on monday. his remarks, he warned that time was running out for iran to halt its nuclear program. this is over 10 minutes. >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you told the leadership. thank you for everything you do to strengthen the great alliance between israel and the united states of america. let me say a special hello to my friend vice president joe biden. i have to say that i have learned over the years so much from joe.

[no audio] i learned about his father, i learned that his background is so similar, deeply grounded in his values. i heard those values expressed. i want to also recognize defense minister. i wanted thank you for the years of service for israel's security. i want to recognize ambassadors coming thank you for the terrific service you are doing for israel every day. [applause] i want to thank all of you who have come from far and wide to be here today to express your support for israel. as you know, i was hoping to

speak to you in person. unfortunately, i had to stay in israel to do something a lot more enjoyable. putting together a coalition government. what a fine. if i could offer a free piece of advice, do not adopt israel system of government. ever system has its pluses and minuses. it is a lot easier finding common ground between two parties that is to find common ground among 10 parties. you think you have a difficulty or connect your politics? this is harder. -- working out your politics? this is harder. i tend to -- i plan to form a strong and stable government and the days ahead. [applause] i will warmly welcome president obama to israel. i look forward to the president's visit. it will give me an opportunity,

along with the people of israel, to express our appreciation for what he has done for israel. the president and i agreed to focus our discussions on three main issues. first, it runs pursuit of nuclear weapons. second, the interior situate -- situation in syria. the need to find a responsible way to advance the peace to the palestinians. on the first point, iran has made it clear that it will continue to defy the will of the international community. time after time, the world's leading powers to resolve the iranian nuclear what issue peacefully. i have to tell the truth. diplomacy has not worked. iran ignores, it is running out the clock. it has used negotiations to buy time. thus far, the sanctions have not

stopped the nuclear program either. the sanctions have hit the iranian economy hard. iran is leaders move forward. iran and reaches more and more uranium and installs faster and faster centrifuges. iran is getting closer to the red line and it is putting itself in a position to cross that line very quickly. once it decides to do so. ladies and gentlemen, to prevent iran from developing nuclear weapons, we cannot allow iran to cross that red line. we must stop -- [applause] we have to stop the nuclear enrichment program before it is too late. i have to tell you, from the bottom of my heart, with the

clarity of mind brain, alone will not stop iran. sanctions alone will not stop iran. sanctions must be coupled with a clear and credible military threat if diplomacy and sanctions fail. israel must always be able to defend itself by itself against any threat to its existence. the jewish people know the cost of being defenseless against those who would exterminate us. we will never let that happen again. [applause]

dubai and described his meeting -- -- joe biden described his meeting. our secret weapon is that we have no other place to go. we have our place under the sun. we shall defend it. the rebirth of israel is one of the greatest events in history. churchill said that it transcends generations, centuries. it is significant in the perspective of thousands of years. we never lose sight of that perspective. we shall always defend the one and only jewish state.

the second issue i intend to discuss is the situation in syria. over the last two years, over 70,000 syrians have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been wounded, millions have been forced to flee their homes. besides the humanitarian crisis, syria could soon become a strategic crisis, one of monumental proportions. syria is a very poor country, but it has chemical weapons, anti-aircraft weapons. as the syrian regime collapses, the danger of these weapons falling into the hands of terrorist groups is very real. terror groups are trying to seize these weapons as we speak. they are like a pack of hyenas feeding of a carcass. these terror groups are committed to israel's

destruction. they repeatedly attacked the united states. beckham perpetrate terrorist attacks anywhere in the world. -- they can perpetrate terrorist attacks anywhere in the world. this is why we have a common interest in preventing them from obtaining these deadly weapons. president obama fully appreciates israel's need to defend itself. i look forward to discussing with them ways to address these challenges to our common security. the third issue i intend to discuss with president obama is our common quest for peace. israel seeks a peace with their palestinian neighbors, a piece that will end the conflict once and for all. that peace must be grounded in reality. it must be grounded in security. israel withdrew from lebanon. we give up territory. we cannot allow that to happen the third time.

as israel's prime minister, i will never compromise on our security. we must work together to find a realistic path forward. that path has to be a measured step by step process in which we work to vance a verifiable, durable, and the sensible piece. it has to be defensible because in the middle east, a pc cannot defend will die. >> -- a piece you cannot defend will die. > >> the second installment of "first lady